Gardiner - Robert De Niro made them an offer, but the judge refused.
The acclaimed actor and Gardiner resident, along with his business partner, David Rockwell, offered to buy Awosting Reserve for $20 million, but with certain restrictions.
In fact, John Bradley and his daughter, Camilla, a fashion designer, put in a bid of $15 million on the 2,500 acres of the Shawangunk Ridge, land Bradley once owned outright.
In the end, the court-appointed trustee went for the sure thing with no strings attached.
Lawyer Frank McCullough of White Plains said in a Nov. 2 letter to the Delaware judge that he was accepting the bid of the Trust for Public Land. The price: $17 million with ready payment and no contingencies.
De Niro and his partner came to the bidding too late, the court-appointed sale trustee said.
Bradley and his daughter bid too little and wanted a delay in payment.
The land was advertised for the asking price of $35 million.
Even a big developer that had previously been involved in proposals along the ridge sweetened its offer, bumping it to $20 million from $15 million.
The company, Bluegreen Golf, still wanted assurances it could get zoning approvals to build 300 homes on the land.
McCullough said he intended to sign the contract with the trust yesterday, but officials from TPL had not inked the document by late afternoon. Sue Clark, a spokeswoman, said they would do that by the end of the day.
The trust worked with the Open Space Institute and New York State to craft its proposal. The goal is to turn the land that the Nature Conservancy calls one of the "last great places on the planet" over to the state. The land remains undeveloped, and eventually, the state will add it to Minnewaska State Park which, in part, borders the plot.
That's what many environmental groups and local residents wanted since the original Awosting Reserve proposal surfaced in 2002. Bradley and his investors hired development firm Chaffin Light of South Carolina to craft a plan. The company proposed to build nearly 350 homes and cabins, a golf course, fitness center and nature center on the property.
The proposal electrified opposition. Locals pounded the plan with questions and concerns. The battle roiled the political landscape in Gardiner in particular two years ago. It led to a change in the supervisor and a couple of town board members. It will likely play a role in today's town elections, too.
Bradley said yesterday that the legal battle in the matter is not over despite McCullough's decision. The judge in the case can decide to pick a different bid, Bradley said.
"We just hope we have an honest judge," Bradley said. The case is before Vice Chancellor Leo Strine Jr., a judge in Chancery Court in Delaware.
If that fails, Bradley said he has other legal options he can pursue and will do so.
